Gagging The Gramaphones

NZ Truth, Issue 946, 12 January 1924, Page 1

Gagging The Gramaphones

\7hen Mr., Massey saw, "You can't ahut mo up" he was talking a bit of bluff. Like other people, he can be Bhut up all right, if it is necessary to do so In order to preserve the tranqulllty of tho country. Such things, however, aro, not likely to ' come to pass. Fortunately for Ulnißelf, Mr. Massey was able to achieve political honor along different lines from Hughes and Holland. It is a cose of altered times, altered manners. The gift of the sab Is a strange thing. It troubles politicians. lawyers, and spinsters, Slnco they won't shut up themselves, thank God we've got lawn to prevent them overstepping the mark. Some people foolishly arguo that you cannot havo a free country without free speech. But have not the majority the right to be protected against pernldtont annoyance? The red orator has him right, too, but these, In the Interest of peace and order, must be subsidiary to the rights uf society. No country could live out of chaoft If every individual Insisted that he possessed Inalienable sights, and any amount of them. By shutting up the few the freedom of the many Is assured. That a member of civilised society should havo the unrestricted license publicly to utter or publish everything that comes into his head Is ridiculous. The Idea has proved untenable, «von under th« Soviet.

Jf there is one fault to be found with the conferring SIR HENRY ; of a knighthood LINDO FERGUSON, on Sir Henry Lindo Ferguson it is that it was so long delayed. Since the announcement was made Sir Henry has been quite embarrassed by the receipt of congratulations, which have been both general and genuine. It was In London m 1868 that he sent up his first baby screams, and m 1880, after a brilliant career at Kingsdown School, the Royal , College of Science, and Trinity College m Dublin, he : qualified as a, surgeon and physician. In 1883 he earned the right to tack the letters M.A. and F.RXJ.S. on to the end of. his name, and was attached to the staff of the National Eye and Ear Hospital. Failing health, however, compelled him to seek other climes, and it was Just 40 years ago last October that he set foot m Dunedin and set up m practice as the first specialist m New Zealand. The whole of his professional career has been associated with ophthalmology, and he is one of the few remaining members of the Ophthalmologlcal Society of the United Kingdom. He was appointed ophthalmic surgeon to the Dunedin Hospital the year following his arrival, and has occupied that position ever since. Two years later he was appointed lecturer m the subject with which he has always been most closely associated, and ' when tho chair was instituted In 1909 ho became the professor. When death claimed Dr. Scott m 1914 Sir Henry succeeded him as Dean of the Medical Faculty, and what a reception he'll got when the students reassemble m March. He was president of the New Zealand Medical Association, and he has also occupied the chair of tho New Zealand branch of the latter association, while In 1899 at the Intercolonial _>MidJcal Congress In Brisbane he wM^Mjjildent of the section dealing wit^^Kjij subject m which he has speciaUMqV : Sir Henry has been a member. r of both the Public Board of Health and the Medical Board of New Zealand ever since the Inception of these bodies, and has been chairman of tho latter for many years. Since 1916 he has been a member of the Council of tho University of Otago, and m 1918 had tho distinction of C.M.G., conferred on him. Lady Ferguson, "who Is a daughter of the late Sir. J. L. Hutterwortl >. has taken a lending part m both the public and social life of the community, and was \ one of tho first women members to bo returned to the -Hospital Board, on which body she held a seat for six years. As a member of tho Red Cross Society she was a tireless worker during tho war, and she has been president of the Otogo Women's Association since Its Inception. :: :: n W. T. Strand, supor-fnthor of the "city fathers" of Lower Hutt. A HUSTLER Jr not quito the cut of FOR HUTT. mnn that a somewhat "toney" suburb would be expected to rejoice In as its municipal head. He does not "look tho part" of a high-brow Muyor, but he poSHoBi.es tlmt quality of quiet p. rslatoncy that "gets things done." Usually the self-made mun In full of selfconfidence: not ho William T. Strand, When the Inst Mayor of Lower Hutt committed municipal suicide, and incidentally pushed the present ono Into the job. Strand's diffidence was such that he was loth to accept such an onerous honor, and talked about confining his Mayoral tenure to the handling of the k«« bURIn.-s. Kortunaioly friends persuaded him to go ahead, and ho Is far more valuable to Lower Hutt and the Hutt Valley than a belltopperod automaton would be. If the railway matter Is not fixed it won't be Strand's fault. Another Strand nt Upper Hutt would make a whole hoap of Improvement.